County COVID-19 cases top 9,000

Coronavirus continues to take toll on

local residents

ralphhardin@gmail.com With the arrival of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 now in the U.S. (but not Arkansas yet – See story in State News), it appears we are still going to be dealing with the coro-

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Photo courtesy of the City of West Memphis COVID-19 (cont.)

navirus pandemic well into 2022. Locally, the Crittenden County total number of cumulative cases reached another milestone, with more than 9,000 total confirmed COVID-19 cases reported since the start of the pandemic in March of 2020.

As of Friday, the Arkansas Department of Health has recorded 9,004 local cases, averaging 12 new cases per day for the last half of November. There are currently 99 active coronavirus cases in the county.

To date, the local death toll from COVID-19 is 182, with the last coronavirusrelated

recorded on Nov. 19.

Coincidentally, that was the day of the most recent mass community vaccination clinic. The City of West Memphis and the West Memphis School District hosted a vaccine clinic at Lehr Arena on that day, with a good turnout from the public.

“Thank you to everyone who made today’s COVID Vaccine Booster Clinic a HUGE success,” said West Memphis communications director Nick Coulter.

“Vaccination is a critical tool to end the pandemic and return to doing the things we love.”

Coulter offered a shout-out to those who worked to being the clinic together.

“With the help from our community partners, the West Memphis School District, Academies of West Memphis for the Lehr Arena, Baptist Memorial Hospital – Crittenden, Crittenden EMS the Arkansas Department of Health, East Arkansas Family Health Center, Inc., Office of Emergency Management, West Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of West Memphis Community Outreach, West Memphis Purchasing, Public Works Dept., Finance Dept., Communications Dept., West Memphis Fire Department, West Memphis Police Department, and all our amazing Volunteers who helped to organize and make this event possible, thank you. Our goal was to get the booster vaccine in the arms of seniors, especially with the holiday season

The COVID-19 vaccine remains available and free to anyone age 5 and up, at local health clinics, as well as retailers including Walmart and Walgreens.

Photos courtesy of the City of West Memphis